East Grinstead, UK  Laird Technologies introduces the T-gon CP200 and CP230 mid-grade thermally conductive insulator pads. They target a wide variety of electronic applications, enhancing heat transfer and promoting cooling by eliminating air gaps between hot components such as power semiconductors and heat sinks or housings. When a component - such as an electronic device - is brought into contact with a heatsink, research has shown that the average contact area can be as low as 2%, with the rest being a small but definite air gap. Air is a very poor thermal conductor and so the flow of heat from the hot component to its heatsink is restricted. The air gap must be filled with a thermally conductive medium so as to obtain the best performance from a heatsink and to keep the operating temperature of the component to a minimum. Thermally conducting pads, such as T-gon, provide the answer. They are relatively soft and designed to conform to the contours of the two surfaces thus reducing the thermal resistance between the components. In this way, heat transfer is greatly increased, and the life of the electronic component is extended. T-gon pads can also provide electrical insulation up to 5,500V if required. CP200 is 0.2 mm thick, while CP230 is 0.230mm thick. Both are made from glass-fibre covered with a ceramic powder filled silicone, a design that gives excellent performance characteristics: high thermal conductivity, excellent dielectric strength and a wide temperature operating range (-60 to +180°C), tailor-made for many thermal conduction applications. Laird Technologies Ltd , East Grinstead, UK. www.lairdtech.com.